Friday, August 21, 2015

Pockets of Praise

The Book of the Revelation has been a mystery to me for some time. In my early days as a believer I tried reading it and got awfully confused. But as I have grown personally and read more of the scriptures, the book of Revelations has become clearer to me. (Only because of the teaching and direction of the Holy Spirit.)

As I read this book I am, troubled, no stirred, to commit myself all the more to sharing the gospel of salvation. In the midst of God's judgments there is sprinkled, pockets of praise, as to not let the reader become overwhelmed with all the suffering and death. (This is especially true of someone who reads this book and tries to understand its signs and symbols, without having read the other books of the bible.) I was such a person.

Chapter 11 ends with the 24 elders, the the twelve tribes and apostles, are bowing before the Most High God worshipping Him.

v.17 saying:

"We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

V.18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged,

and that You should rewardYour servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth."

Looking at the world to come and the world now, we believers have our "pockets of praise".

We see the current condition of the world and long for the God to call us home.

"How long, O Lord, Holy and True, until You judge?" becomes our prayer. The walls are closing in and we are closer to our redemption.

Looking at the world to come, we see offerings of praise given to God because He Is.

Verse 17 (end portion) because You have taken Your power and reigned.

God is still in control. The judgments being poured out on mankind during the Tribulation period is from God. Why? His own creations have turned their backs on Him. They have rejected His free offering of salvation at the cost of His Only Son, Jesus Christ.

Despite all we go through in our daily lives , we can still offer God pockets of praise.

When aches and pains riddle our bodies, we can offer praise.

When financial difficulties threaten our way of living, we can offer praise.

When personal failings seem to overcome our confidence, we can offer pockets of praise.

In everything, we can offer God pockets of praise. Good or bad.

Jesus reassures us in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

In Jesus we have peace. It is an everlasting peace.

In the world we will have troubles. Temporary troubles.

Nothing associated with our flesh will last forever. The body dies, our personal possessions become someone else's and we leave this earth, as we were brought into it. With nothing.

However, those who accept the Cross of Calvary, gain eternal life, a glorified body, and heavenly riches that will never rust or decay.

P R A I S E G O D

As we draw closer to the time of the Rapture, let's us not forget why we have this hope. God. That is why we offer pockets of praise to Him. Our daily menstrations now, only serves to prepare us for heaven. Those same menstrations we read of in the book of the Revelation, are thanks to God for fulfilling our hope.

My hope is built on nothing less that Jesus' blood and righteousness. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.